Planned Communities
Want to live in a neighborhood where you can golf everyday? Or ride horses? Or dine with your neighbors? If so, a planned community might be just the right housing option for you. In planned communities, the development aspects are determined before construction begins. The concept of planned communities can be traced to ancient Greece, but it's an idea that's enjoying a renaissance in the United States. Imagine settling down in a neighborhood where there are no surprises--what you see is what you get--embracing a concept that gives homeowners a sense of community combined with a unique living experience. From "green belt" towns to golfing communities, American homeowners today can find a community to fit any lifestyle. Here are some examples from Home & Garden Television's Dream Builders series. Co-Housing
Co-housing is a type of community housing where prospective homeowners purchase the land, work with the builder on designing and building the community, and often structure their neighborhood around the notion of shared quarters (i.e. dining hall, day care). Dream Builders host Scott Morgan visits a finished co-housing community in Boulder, Colo., and another just breaking ground in Libertytown, MD. Guests:
Kathryn McCamat, Author, Co-Housing Company
1250 Addison St., Berkley, CA 9470
Web-site: www.cohousingco.com Life Leasing
Life Leasing is a unique seniors housing option that allows residents to purchase a pre-construction interest in their community and potentially earn a return on their investment similar to equity growth in a home. They are neither renters nor owners; ownership and title rests with the sponsoring organization, typically a non-profit or charitable organization that sells the units at cost. Life-lease residents enjoy home ownership without worry about maintenance, or even a future buyer. Resources:
Gary Zock, President, Life Lease Associates of Canada
145 Front Street East, Suite 302
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5A1E3 Shepherd Village
125 Bonis Ave., Suite 100
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada M1T3R8
Phone: 416-609-2510
Fax: 416-609-8329
Web-site: www.shepherdvillage.org Coved Communities
The coved community concept utilizes a method of laying out subdivisions that creates more green space through varied house setbacks and winding streets. Eagle Pass's coving concept receives favorable reviews from developer Mike Quigley and town official Jim March. While it may be too soon to call coving a success--new, more ambitious projects on the boards might show what coving can really do. Guests:
Rick Harrison, Land Planner / Designer
8100 Wayzata Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55426
Phone: 763-595-0055 Fax: 763-595-0080 Mike Quigley, Director of Development, Gor-Em, LLC
10732 Hanson Blvd., Coon Rapids, MN 55433
Phone: 612-767-3965 Fax: 612-755-1117 Jim March, Clerk / Administrator, City of Centerville
City Hall 1880 Main Street, Centerville, MN 55038-9794
Phone: 651-429-3232 Fax: 651-429-8629 Military Bases Transformed
From Lowry Air Force Base near Denver to Cameron Station, an old Army base in Alexandria, Va., community developers and home builders are participating in the modern version of "beating swords into plowshares." The Lowry Redevelopment Authority works to transform an old airforce base into a thriving community. Resources:
Lowry Redevelopment Authority
555 Uinta Way, Denver, CO 80230
Phone: 303-343-0276 Fax: 303-343-9135
Web-site: www.lowry.org Manufactured Community
The New Colony Village in Elkridge, Md., a new residential community of two-story manufactured homes with porches and all the amenities, is indistinguishable from a traditional single-family neighborhood. The homes are assembled from manufactured housing units that are transported from the factory on their own wheels, and are then stacked to create attractive single family, detached homes. The developers turned to manufactured units as a cost-effective way to provide attractive, traditional-looking homes in this expensive area between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Resources:
New Colony Village Sales Center
7701 Port Capital Dr., Elkridge, MD 21075
Phone: 410-799-9700 Fax: 410-799-4446
Web-site: www.newcolonyvillage.com Stock Farm Community
Montana's Stock Farm combines a spectacular setting, world class golf and first-rate equestrian facilities to create a rustic getaway for the well-to-do. The community's architecture takes inspiration from the local heritage, with housing choices limited to white clapboard horse-ranch style, hand-hewn log mountain homes or traditional log cabins. More than 30 miles of trails meander through 1600 acres of common ground preserved for elk, moose, deer and bird populations. Guests:
Jim Schueler, President, Rocky Mountain Log Home
1883 Highway 93 South, Hamilton, MT 59840
Phone: 406-363-5680 Fax: 406-363-2109 Jeremy Oury, AIA, Architect, Kibo Group Architecture
1883 US Hwy 93 South, Hamilton, MT 59840
Phone: 406-363-0000 Fax: 406-363-2109 Wyatt J.B. Perkins, Representative, General One Construction Management Team P.O. Box 1761, Hamilton, MT 59840
Phone: 406-363-7622 Fax: 406-363-7951 Golfing With Nature
Often golf communities are criticized for insensitive land use, but this golf community is looking to change that. The developers realize that golfers love the outdoors, so they've taken unique approaches to preserving the natural features of the site. This "golfing-with-nature" community allows folks to keep score and bird watch at the same time. Colliers Reserve takes a unique approach to development issues such as water conservation, wildlife conservation, habitat enhancement, energy efficiency, and waste management. Resources:
Collier's Reserve Golf Course
1000 Crosspointe Dr., Naples, FL 34110
Phone: 800-695-5263 Fax: 941-592-0503 Smart Communities
Reston, Va., may be the best known and most successful "New Town" in America. Reston pioneered "radical" suburban development concepts--a mix of homes, stores, offices and a variety of housing choices to attract a diverse population. Clustering development to preserve open space has become widely accepted today. Reston's founder, visionary and namesake, Robert E. Simon, has retired to the community he conceived and remains an active participant in the life of this thriving community. Resources:
John Thillmann, Reston Resident / VP Land Development & Planning, Landmark Communities
5252 Cherokee Avenue - Suite 303, Alexandria, VA 22312
Phone: 703-658-5200 Fax: 703-658-5213 High End Farm Community
Merry-Go-Round Farm is an architects dream community. Located on the estate of newspaper columnist Drew Pearson, Merry-Go-Round is a high-end new home community that puts the architect in the builder's seat. In many new-home communities, the developer determines a look and hires a builder to create that look. At MGR Farm, the 79 homes that will eventually rise on 204 acres are being designed by a variety of architects, built by variety of builders and encompass styles ranging from arts and crafts to sleekly modern. Guests:
Mark McInturff, Architect
4220 Leeward Place, Bethesda, MD 20816
Phone: 301-229-3705 Fax: 301-229-6380 Daryl Landis, Builder, Potomac Valley Builders
PO Box 34617, Bethesda, MD 20827
Phone: 301-320-5081 Solar Community
Nearly 20 years ago a pioneering solar community was built in Davis, Calif. Today, the community stands as a testament to the viability of homes powered by alternative energy. The community approaches solar energy with a nostalgic twist--incorporating innovations from yesterday in order to conserve energy today. Resources:
Local Government Commission/Village Homes
1414 K St. #250, Sacto, CA 95814
Phone: 916-448-1198 Fax: 916-448-8246
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